West Coast__East Coast

One night while doing a concert at the prison, I noticed a young man (an inmate) sitting on the front row with a big smile on his face. The smile never left his face all night long. After the concert was over and it was time to pack up and go home, this young man came to me with a story that almost blew me away.

He said, “Jane, I just love your new CD”, I ask if he had heard it in the library of the prison. He said, “oh no, I’ve listened to it over the telephone.” By this time I certainly was interested in hearing the whole story.

He went on to tell me that his sister in Washington state had got a tape in the store just after they had been released, and how much his sister and mother loved this new album. Now I knew they had not been put in the stores yet because the Lord had not released me to do so-So I thought the boy was telling me a story. I thought maybe it was someone else’s tape and he just thought it was mine. He assured me it was “From A Mom’s Heart”, and that his sister had got it at a second hand store. Now the story was getting either better or worse.

The young man could see that I was having trouble believing his story, and He said all I know is that someone from the East Coast brought it in just after they were released, and they were from PA. When he said Pa. I knew it could only be two people that I knew, because I only knew two people from PA.

About three years ago while traveling across the country, I stopped at a little town in Wy, to stay for the night. While riding my bicycle that evening, a couple riding a big Harley Davidson motorcycle pulled in for the night. I rode over to them to let them know that I appreciated the machine they were riding.

We talked a while and later that night visited some more. We discussed what each did for our profession. The man, (who’s name I won’t mention because I don’t have permission to use it) was a retired New York cop, from a heavy crime area. He was very out spoken on how he felt about race, religion and inmates. Then the man asked me what I did. I told him, “You try to put them in and I try to get them out.” He said “Oh no, you are a parole officer.” I shook my head no and explained very carefully. His verbal communication let me know that he was very tough, and had experienced some of life’s discomfort.  

One could not be a weakling and do the job this man was doing.

 I saw them at the coffee shop the next morning and gave them my card, which happens to be a tract when you open it up. My card reads as such,

“JESUS is coming BACK NOW!!! THEREFORE

If I am introduced to you, and you forget me. You have lost nothing.

But if you are introduced to JESUS and forget HIM, you have lost EVERYTHING for ETERNITIY!!!”

 I told them that I had a new album coming out and would send them one if they would like that. I sent them a copy and they loved it. When they received it, the man called me from PA, and let me know that he told his wife, “Jane didn’t forget us after all.” It took longer to get the tapes back than what I had told them. Perhaps they thought I was full of hot air and wouldn’t keep my word to them.

The next summer they rode all the way across the country to have a cup of coffee with me. I was in Scotland at the time so I didn’t get to see them. When it was time for another album to come out, I sent them a CD and a tape, told them one was for them and one to give away.

I had had a note at Christmas time telling me that they would be going across the states again, the last two states that they had not covered on the motorcycle, Montana, and Washington state, and then on to Canada and back home again.

My little prayer group began to pray for this couple; great things are coming about in their lives. There is so much that I didn’t tell about this story. It was such an incredible story.

This is the West Coast, East Coast story. The odds of this happening are staggering. Going from the west coast via mail to the east coast, then aboard a Harley, the tape or CD came back to the west coast, then all the way from Seattle via telephone to the Boise, Idaho state prison to an inmate there. Then for me to be there at the chapel on the same night that this inmate would be there was absolutely phenomenal. Think about the odds of this happening. I think I have a chance at winning the lottery now.

Later, this inmate told me that he had tried to commit suicide, and was held in restriction for six weeks. He said he had never been to the chapel and didn’t want to go there, but that night he had a feeling in his guts he should go. He also told me that he repeated a prayer that I had give that night and gave his heart to the Lord. He said, “If I never get out of prison, I am the happiest I have ever been in my life just knowing everything is right between me and the Lord.” He thanked me for coming to the prison to let him and the others know that there was hope for them.

 I have thought about the many factors that had to line up for the Lord to let this episode happen just for me to know that He is in charge of my life. When we cast our bread upon the water, the bible says “after many days it will come back to you.” Needless to say this was a real faith builder for me.

My sentiments, are, never underestimate the power of God working in your life. God is still about miracles. 

Janie T.